Travel

You Can Live a “Normal” Life and Travel, Too

Who says you have to choose one over the other? You don’t have to quit your job to travel the world; you truly can have the best of both worlds, as I’ll prove to you in this post.

The Traveler vs. Tourist Debate and Why I Don’t Give a Crap

Bottom line: I don’t care how, when, or where you travel, as long as you do it respectfully. Beyond that, the whole traveler vs. tourist debate is just dumb.

5 Things My 86-Year-Old Grandma Taught Me About Travel

Traveling with my grandmother reminded me of some very important lessons about travel and how to make the most of it.

Life is Short. Travel Now.

Life is far too short to put travel off until “later.” Here’s an inspirational post on why you should take advantage of the here and now and follow your travel dreams.

How to Deal With Travel-Wary Parents

So you want to travel. But your parents aren’t very excited about it. What to do? Here are a few helpful hints.

How to Survive a Long-Haul Flight

I’ve flown to New Zealand and back — twice. I’ve flown over the Arctic to China. And I’ve traveled to Italy and Ireland once apiece. Suffice it to say, I’m no stranger to long-haul flights. Thanks to my experience, here are some tips on how to make those long flights a little more bearable.

9 Money-Saving Tips For Travelers From Travelers

Travelers share their best tips and tricks on ways to cut down on expenses and save money to put toward travel.

Converting to Carry-on-Only Travel (and Some Packing Tips)

I’ll admit it: I’m a chronic over-packer. But I’m really trying to change my ways. In this post, I outline my quest to become a carry-on-only traveler, and then throw in some packing tips that could be useful to anyone traveling with any size luggage.

6 Dumb Reasons People Don’t Travel

A guest post at Gap Year Escape.

We sure make a lot of excuses for why we CAN’T travel — whether it’s because of money, time, fear, etc. But you know what? Most of those reasons we give are really dumb. And here’s why.

Why You Should Get Lost While Traveling

Most people don’t like to be lost. They don’t like feeling out of the loop, or like they’ve missed something. Most of all, they don’t like feeling vulnerable in a strange place. I understand this — I’m the same way. But, the more I’ve traveled, the more I’ve come to realize that, sometimes, getting lost is okay. In fact, getting lost can often be better than finding your way on the first try.

6 Ways to be a More Adventurous Traveler

A guest post at Maiden Voyage.

As a country, America doesn’t travel much. In fact, based on all the figures I’ve seen, less than 30 percent of Americans even own passports. Why is this? Money is probably one reason. And the fact that we’re all about work, work, work in the U.S. is probably another. And I’d be willing to bet that fear of the unknown also factors in. Well, America, don’t be afraid. Here are six tips for being more adventurous on your next trip.

Movies to Inspire Travel

Movies — with their exotic backdrops and intriguing characters — can act as a pull to a specific destination or region of the world. Here are some movies that, over the years, have inspired me — in different ways and for different reasons — to travel.

Why Guided Tours are Not the Devil

I know not everyone is a fan of guided tours. In fact, among the travel community, many people look down upon those who would choose a guided tour over going it alone, arguing that dependence on a tour guide makes the experience in a place less “authentic.” Well, I’m not sure I agree. Check out what makes a guided tour good, and decide for yourself if a tour is right for you.